Picnic Fare | onedadskitchen

A Refreshing Summer Side Dish – Apple Coleslaw

A great side dish for the warm weather when you are having a barbecue, picnic, party, buffet or just want a lighter and refreshing side is coleslaw. There are so many different things that you can do and ingredients that you can use to make a coleslaw that your options seem almost endless. Even better, with the bags of coleslaw mix that are available in most grocery stores today you do not have to go through the effort of shredding cabbage and carrots on your own (unless you want to of course). Many times during the summer these bags of coleslaw are on sale at my store for a dollar a bag or less, which makes them a great deal to buy. I have tried a bunch of coleslaw recipes in the past and am always on the lookout not just for something new, but one that uses little or no mayonnaise at all. I found this recipe on Kitchen Daily for an apple coleslaw and made a few modifications to make it my own.

Apple Coleslaw

1 package of coleslaw mix or 1 cup shredded green cabbage, 3/4 cup shredded red cabbage and 1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 apple, julienned

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, combine the green cabbage, red cabbage, julienned carrots, or the 1 bag of coleslaw mix (whichever you happen to be using) and the julienned apple.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the mayonnaise, the olive oil, the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, the poppy seeds (if using) and the salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the dressing mixture over the cabbage mixture and stir everything together using a rubber spatula. Stir until everything is well combined. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least one hour so that the flavors can meld. Serve the coleslaw cold.

Personally, I left out the poppy seeds because I didn’t have any on hand and I didn’t think they would add that much to the dish. While they will look nice and add some texture, it just wasn’t for me this time. I loved the freshness that the apple added to the mix with the cabbage and carrots and since there was very little mayonnaise it didn’t get all watery as it chilled. I think you could probably eliminate that mayo all together if you wanted to go without it and just stick with the olive oil, but the mayo does help to bind everything together nicely. You could certainly try substituting yogurt or sour cream for the mayo as well. I used Gala apple for mine but I think you can use whatever apple you like the best for crispness and flavor. The original recipe called for Granny Smith, which I find to be very tart so I opted to change that out. in any case, I think it was a great coleslaw with excellent flavor that is a great side dish for burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, sandwiches or just about anything else you can think of for a summer meal.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on May 31, 2014 in Cooking, Picnic Fare, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Tags: apple coleslaw, apple coleslaw with poppy seed dressing, coleslaw recipes, Kitchen Daily, Kitchen Daily apple coleslaw

A New Twist on Chicken Fingers – Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Fingers

30 May

I had made some classic chicken fingers not that long ago along with some homemade dipping sauces and the grocery store was having a really good sale on chicken tenderloins so I picked up another batch of them and was looking for something else to do. Sure, I could have just cut up the chicken and used it for something like a stir-fry or a warm chicken salad, but I wanted to try something else with chicken fingers again. Lo and behold along came the newest issue of Cook’s Country magazine in the mail shortly after and in it was a recipe for pretzel-crusted chicken fingers. I thought this was a good one to try to see if I could get some extra crunch and flavor out of the chicken. The recipe is very simple and only takes a few minutes to make, so you can easily make this anytime you want some chicken fingers.

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Fingers

6 ounces thin pretzel sticks

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins, trimmed

Salt and pepper

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Process the pretzel sticks in a food processor until they are finely ground, about 20 seconds. you should end up with about 1 1/2 cups of pretzel crumbs. Transfer the pretzel crumbs to a shallow dish. Spread the all-purpose flour in a second shallow dish. Beat the eggs and the Dijon mustard in a third shallow dish.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it well with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip the chicken pieces in the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Finally, dip the chicken pieces in the pretzel crumbs, pressing on the chicken gently in the crumbs so the crumbs adhere well.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering. Cook half of the breaded chicken tenderloins until they are golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Adjust the heat along the way if the crust seems like it is beginning to burn. Transfer the chicken fingers to a paper towel-lined plate, discard the oil, and wipe out the skillet with paper towels. Repeat the process with the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the remaining chicken tenderloins. Serve the chicken fingers with your favorite dipping sauces.

You want to make sure you use the thin pretzel sticks for this recipe and not the thick pretzel rods. The thin pretzels will grind easier and are not as dense and hard as the rods, giving you better crumbs for the crust. You get a really nice flavor from the pretzel crust and just a hint of the Dijon mustard along the way to give them great flavor. This is a great recipe to offer up for the kids who love chicken fingers but want something a little different or as a quick dinner or to serve at a party. You can make large batches of them and freeze them cooked for later use at another time.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on May 30, 2014 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Lunch, Picnic Fare, Poultry, Snacks

Tags: chicken fingers, chicken fingers recipe, chicken tenderloins, Cook's Country, Cook's Country pretzel crusted chicken fingers, pretzel-crusted chicken fingers

A Simple Side for Your Burgers and Sandwiches – Beer Battered Onion Rings

10 Dec

I love onion rings. Admittedly, they are not the healthiest choice when it comes to things to make. The frozen ones, even when baked in the oven, are not the best thing for you but I still love them. I have tried a few times to make my own and have made them by baking them in the oven and by frying them, but I had never really tried a beer batter recipe before. I cam across this one in Saveur Magazine not long ago and had been waiting for the right opportunity to make them. I made some burgers for dinner one night last week and the onion rings were just the perfect accessory for the burgers.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons honey

12 ounces lager-style beer

Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

2 large onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices and separated into rings

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, paprika, dry mustard, baking powder and salt. Add the honey and the beer and whisk the mixture until it is smooth.. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

Pour the vegetable or canola oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven or large skillet with high sides and heat the pan over medium-high heat until the temperature of the oil registers 375 degrees on a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, dip the onion rings into the batter, shaking off any excess, and lower them into the oil. Fry the onion rings, flipping once, until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the onion rings to a paper towel lined plate to drain briefly and season with more salt. Cover the onion rings and repeat the process with any remaining onion rings until they are all fried. Serve immediately.

The batter was a lot thicker than I thought it was going to be and it made for an excellent crust on the onion rings. You got some really great flavor from the mix of the beer, honey and paprika and they were done quite quickly. We all loved the taste of them and devoured all the onion rings with our burgers pretty quickly. These would be great to make with any burgers or other sandwiches like a chicken sandwich or even with some corned beef or pastrami. They would also make an awesome appetizer or snack when you are watching a football game or having some friends over for a party. I’ll definitely be trying this recipe again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back tomorrow for another recipe. Tomorrow is my birthday, so I will be posting the recipe Michelle used for my wonderful birthday cake that she made. Check back tomorrow to see what it is. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on December 10, 2013 in Appetizers, Cooking, Picnic Fare, Side Dishes, Snacks

Tags: beer batter recipe, beer battered onion rings, onion rings, onion rings recipe, Saveur

31 Awesome Dips for Football Noshing – Bon Appétit

28 Sep

31 Awesome Dips for Football Noshing – Bon Appétit.

If you are going to have chips while you watch the game, or are having a party or just one a great snack, then you need to make sure you have a good dip on hand. Sure, you can buy stuff from the store and go with that, by what not get much better flavor and control the content yourself and put some time in to make your own. Most of these dips from Bon Appetit are really easy to make and you can find yourself making your own dip all the time with little effort. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on September 28, 2013 in Appetizers, Cooking, Picnic Fare, Sauce, Snacks

Tags: 31 awesome dip recipes, 31awesome dips, bon appetit, dip recipes

Best Summer & Picnic Side Dish Recipes : Cooking Channel

01 Sep

Best Summer & Picnic Side Dish Recipes : Cooking Channel.

It’s never too late to make some of these great side and picnic dishes. While they are perfect for your summer time events, who says you can’t use some of them all year round? Cooking Channel gives you some great options of things to make for yourself or bring to a party. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on September 1, 2013 in Cookbooks, Cooking Websites, Grilling, Picnic Fare, Side Dishes

Tags: best summer and picnic side dishes, Cooking Channel, picnic side dish recipes, summer side dish recipes

Perfect Summer Dip Recipes for Parties : Cooking Channel

21 Aug

Perfect Summer Dip Recipes for Parties : Cooking Channel.

looking for some great dip ideas for a summer barbecue, party or just to have around the house for yourself? Cooking Channel has put together some great dips from basic to different for you to try out for your next party. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on August 21, 2013 in Appetizers, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Picnic Fare, Snacks

Tags: Cooking Channel, Cooking Channel dip recipes, dip recipes, dip recipes for parties, summer dip recipes

101 Recipes for July 4th, from Burgers and Steaks to Chicken and Pies: BA Daily: Bon Appétit

01 Jul

101 Recipes for July 4th, from Burgers and Steaks to Chicken and Pies: BA Daily: Bon Appétit.

With Independence Day coming on Thursday, if you are playing to have a party or a cookout of any kind, Bon Appetit has given 101 ideas for recipes that cover everything you could possibly need for a great July 4th event. You are sure to find some great ideas here, so check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on July 1, 2013 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Grilling, Holidays, Picnic Fare

Tags: 101 recipes for July 4th, bon appetit, july 4th grilling ideas, july 4th party ideas, july 4th picnic ideas

Party or Picnic Panzanella Salad

28 Jun

Quite often in the summertime I find myself invited to a barbecue or a party and looking for something to make to bring over. A lot of the time it may be a last-minute get-together and I will not have a lot of time to put something together or not have all the ingredients needed to make something like a pie or fruit salad. If you want to make something that will hold up well in any type of weather then a good alternative for you is to try this recipe for an Italian bread salad, or Panzanella Salad. You can find all kinds of recipes for this, but I used this very simple one from the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook and it worked out great.

Panzanella Salad (Italian Bread Salad)

1 (1-pound) loaf Italian or French bread, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced thin

1 shallot, sliced thin

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the bread pieces with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; arrange the bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the bread pieces until they are just starting to turn a light golden color, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring the bread halfway through the baking process. Set the bread aside and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Gently toss the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl. Transfer the tomatoes to a colander set over a bowl; set it aside to drain for 15 minutes, tossing the tomatoes occasionally.

Whisk the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil, the red wine vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper into the reserved tomato juices. Add the bread pieces, toss to coat and let stand for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Add the tomatoes, cucumber, shallot and basil to the bowl with the bread pieces and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

There are a couple of things that can really make this easy recipe great. Since this is the time of year you will start to see some really good, fresh local tomatoes, use the best that you have or can find for a recipe like this. The flavor of the tomatoes makes all the difference. Even if you don’t have whole tomatoes on hand, if you have some great, fresh cherry tomatoes, simply halve those and use them and it will turn out fine. Using a really good olive oil here can make a big difference too. I keep a good extra-virgin olive oil on hand for flavoring things like this and the fruity flavor it adds really helps this dish. Also, use only fresh basil here, not the jarred spices. There’s nothing like some fresh basil with tomatoes. Just the smell alone is usually good enough for me, but it adds great flavor too. If you have a really dense loaf of bread, you may find that you do not need to use all of it for this recipe. Adjust the amount of bread you use based on that.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some other recipes I have done or am working on. I have a great bay scallop recipe I just tried the another night to put up here and I have lots of good things to choose from in the freezer right now to make some great meals, so keep checking back. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on June 28, 2013 in Cookbooks, Picnic Fare, Salad, Side Dishes

Tags: Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, Italian bread salad, panzanella, panzanella salad

There’ Nothing Better Than a Burger…Except a Steak Burger!

20 Aug

I love burgers. I’m pretty sure I could eat one every day if it wouldn’t eventually kill me. There’s just something about a nice, juicy burger with all the accompaniments you like – bacon, tomato, lettuce, avocado, really anything you want – and it’s just plain good. I didn’t think there was too much else you could do to a burger until I came across this recipe for a Steak Burger from Cook’s Country. This burger is made from ground sirloin, which is why they call it a steak burger. Now the thing about ground sirloin is that there is hardly any fat in it at all, so you need to add a little fat to this to make it perfect. it’s nothing a little melted butter can’t take care of, and while you’re at it you can add a little spice to it as well. They also use a steak sauce on the burger to really give it some intense flavor. This recipe calls for the burgers to be grilled, but of course it was raining today when I started cooking so everything got moved inside.

Grilled Steak Burgers

For the Burgers:

8 tablespoons butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 1/2 pounds 90 percent lean ground sirloin

4 hamburger buns

For the Steak Sauce:

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2/3 cup beef broth

1/3 cup raisins

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the burgers, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, onion powder, pepper and salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture into a bowl and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

For the steak sauce, add the tomato paste to the skillet and cook over medium heat until the paste begins to darken, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, raisins, soy sauce, mustard, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer until the raisins plump, about 5 minutes. Process the sauce in a blender until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to a bowl.

Add 5 tablespoons of the cooled butter mixture and the soy sauce to the ground beef and gently knead until well combined. Shape into 4 3/4-inch-thick patties and press a shallow divot in the center of each. Brush each patty all over with 1 tablespoon of the steak sauce. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of the cooled butter mixture with 2 tablespoons of the steak sauce; set aside.

For a gas grill, turn all the burners to high, cover, and heat the grill until it is hot, about 15 minutes. Leave the burners on high. Clean and oil the cooking grate. Grill the burgers, covered, until the meat registers 120 to 125 degrees, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or 130 to 135 degrees (for medium), 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the burgers to a plate, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Brush the cut side of the buns with the butter-steak sauce mixture. Grill the buns, cut side down, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Place the burgers on the buns and serve with the remaining steak sauce.

The steak sauce has just the right bite to it and tastes very good on the burgers. Of course, you can top the burgers with whatever you like to top them with. I prefer some sliced pickle, red onion and tomato myself, maybe a piece of bacon or avocado. You could just eat them with the steak sauce. I still had some of the remoulade I made a few days ago and used that. It was delicious.

There’s no meal tomorrow since we are going to the Mets game at Citi Field tomorrow night, but I do have a dinner planned for Wednesday involving, chicken, Italian sausage and potatoes. Check back on Wednesday to see what it is. until then, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on August 20, 2012 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Picnic Fare, Sauce

Tags: Cook's Country, grilled steak burgers, ground sirloin, remoulade, steak sauce

101 Picnic Dishes to Make in 20 Minutes – NYTimes.com

16 Jul

101 Picnic Dishes to Make in 20 Minutes – NYTimes.com.

Another great blog entry I came across today from the New York Times. It is the season of picnics, and even if you decide at the last minute to go, you can still whip up most of these ingredients in no time at all. Give it a try!